Some countries venerate the bull, the tiger or the brown bear as their national animal. Scotland, however, is among a few places with the distinction of naming a mythical creature as its national animal: the unicorn.
A number of social media posts claim the Scottish national animal is a unicorn because it was deemed the natural enemy of the English national animal: the lion. Others see the unicorn as a symbol of purity, innocence and power in Celtic mythology.
(Facebook user "Visit Scotland Tours")
The unicorn is indeed the national animal of Scotland, per its official government designations. As such, we rate this claim as true. Some historians do argue that part of the motive for selecting the unicorn emerged from the Scots' old animosities toward the English.
Scotland, while a part of the United Kingdom, has an interesting legal status. Some interpretations view the nation as a political and territorial entity with its own legal and educational system. Other opinions consider the U.K. as a unitary state in which Westminster has "lent" powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Many Scots have long advocated for a completely independent Scotland.
This status has played a role in Scotland's choice of national animal, partly due to the contentious historical relationship between the Scottish people and the English crown, according to the National Trust for Scotland, a conservation organization:
Using heraldry as our guide, we can see that the unicorn was first introduced to the royal coat of arms of Scotland around the mid-1500s.
Prior to the Union of the Crowns in 1603, our coat of arms was supported by two unicorns. However, when King James VI of Scotland also became James I of England, he replaced one of the unicorns with the national animal of England, the lion, as a display of unity between the two countries. Of course, folklore fans will know that lions and unicorns have always been enemies, locked in a battle for the title of 'king of beasts'.
According to Scotland's official website for travelers, the unicorn even has its own day. Every April 9, the nation celebrates National Unicorn Day:
In Celtic mythology, unicorns are believed to be a symbol of purity and power. The legendary creature symbolises bravery, strength and determination which may be why it was chosen as our national animal! And it's not just symbolic in Scotland, the influence of unicorns is everywhere from social media to film and fashion. There's even a National Unicorn Day which is celebrated on 9 April!
In 2024, the Perth Museum in Scotland did their opening exhibition on the unicorn, and described it thus:
From Pliny to Pride, the unicorn has been an enduring yet enigmatic symbol throughout the ages; a component of medieval medicine, an emblem of Scottish royalty, a beloved children's character, and icon of the LGBTQI+ community. The exhibition will feature spectacular objects including manuscripts, illustrations, paintings, coins, sculpture, tapestry and shop signs.
The unicorns on Scottish heraldry are often shown with chains. Per the National Trust of Scotland: "Although we don't know for sure, it's believed that this was a way of showing the power of Scottish kings – that only they had the strength to tame the untameable."
Liam Devlin, Scotland's former Unicorn Pursuivant — a title for an officer of arms attached to the Court of Lord Lyon, the heraldic authority for Scotland — told the BBC in 2019 that the unicorn's true meaning was being misrepresented by politicians during Brexit, who used it as "an image of uncertainty and fanciful thinking."
"Some Scottish nationalists also think the unicorn's chains symbolise our subjugation from England. But that's nonsense," Devlin said. "The chains predate the Acts of Union in 1707 [that led to the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain] and show the savage nature of the beast — it is not My Little Pony with a horn. So it would be good to administer a history lesson to these unpatriotic politicians."